The customer then shouts profanities at the employee, and refers to him as "Santa Claus." According to bystander Ethan Frobisher, who recorded the video and posted it on Facebook, the employee had told the customer that his name was "Santa Claus" when he was asked to identify himself. CBC News first reported on the exchange.

Frobisher wrote on his Facebook page that the argument between the two men started when the Sears employee chastised the customer for putting his child on a lawnmower display, saying it "was not a play area."

Sears Canada fired the employee on Monday after conducting an investigation into the matter and speaking to witnesses of the exchange, Sears spokesman Vincent Power told Business Insider.

"Customers of Sears will know that this is not the kind of behavior that is demonstrated by Sears employees across Canada, and we apologize to all those involved in the matter," he said. "We will take this incident as an opportunity to remind employees about our discrimination and respect policies."